Thoughts on Living the Life Creative
Book and Dagger-How Scholars And Librarians Became The Unlikely Spies of World War II by Elyse Graham (2024) - Drawn from declassified documents from official sources, and many personal documents of those involved, the author details the input of a wide range of non-professional spies who played vital roles in the Allies victory in Europe.... Continue Reading →
MK Ultra (2022) Based on actual events, the CIA enlists a psychiatrist to lead illegal experiments using psychedelic drugs on mental asylum patients. Eventually, he will face decisions about the work he’s doing. Directed by Joseph Sorrentino Starring Anson Mount, Jason Patric, Jaime Ray Newman Why I Liked It – I didn’t. There’s no way... Continue Reading →
Billy Bathgate (1991) – A teenage boy becomes the protégé of 1930s mobster Dutch Schultz. His life will become a series of betrayals and violence. Will he be able to chart a path through all the obstacles? Directed by Robert Benton Starring Dustin Hoffman, Nicole Kidman, Loren Dean, Bruce Willis, Steve Buscemi Why I Liked... Continue Reading →
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (2013) – The Radch empire spans the galaxy, bringing system after system into their hierarchical culture. At the center of that expansion are the massive ships filled with troops that extend and enforce the Radchaii’s hegemony. Each troop carrier is a single artificial intelligence connecting its ancillary soldiers with the... Continue Reading →
The Wicker Man (1973)- A rigidly moralistic police officer arrives on a small Scottish island in search of a missing girl. He clashes with the pagan locals who insist that the girl never existed. Directed by Robin Hardy Starring Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland Why I Liked It – The movie has a style... Continue Reading →
Matchstick Men (2003) – A con artist with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder keeps his life and his work neatly in order, despite a partner who likes to stir things up. When a teenager shows up claiming to be his daughter, his life turns upside down. Directed by Ridley Scott Starring Nicolas Cage, Alison Lohman, Sam Rockwell,... Continue Reading →
The Secret, Book & Scone Society by Ellery Adams (2017) – In a small town in western North Carolina, four women bond over personalized scones and shared secrets. Each bears a burden that sets them apart from the folks around them, until the death of a real estate investor strikes them as wrong. Together they... Continue Reading →
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)-A pair of Americans find themselves down to their last dime. When everything else fails them, they hear a story from an old man about gold mining in Mexico. The lure of treasure in those mountains will bring them the hope to continue, but it may also bring madness.... Continue Reading →
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1990) – Two minor characters observe Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”. The two friends of the Danish prince struggle with what is real and their roles as pawns in the tragedy. Directed by Tom Stoppard Starring Gary Oldman, Tim Roth, Richard Dreyfuss, Iain Glen Why I Liked It – Just familiar enough to... Continue Reading →
Get Up and Ride: A Humorous Story of Two Friends Cycling the Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Canal (2020) – Jim Shea joins his dedicated cyclist brother-in-law for a ride from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C. over a pair of dedicated trails. Through the beauty of the mountains and the wonderful people they meet along the... Continue Reading →
Stories Are My Life 